The three Leaf Ninjas walked through the town with concern evident in their gazes. They stared at the damaged buildings, looking as if something massive had crushed them. A citizen stood not too far in front of them, inspecting the damage done to his shop.
"Hey, can you tell me what happened here?"
The man turned around with raised eyebrows. He nodded as he pointed to the clear path of destruction.
"Some guy and his lackey rode in on a giant snake chasing after this lady with a massive chest."
Jiraiya facepalmed as his two companions narrowed their eyes. He nodded to the man.
"Thanks. Is that lady still in town?"
The man nodded as he pointed down the road.
"At the end of that street, turn right. She's probably still in the bar."
Jiraiya nodded and walked off, Adrik and Naruto following close behind him.
X
A woman with her blonde hair parted down the middle to reveal the small, diamond shaped mark on her forehead looked up, her cheeks flushed from the emptied bottles of sake on the table in front of her.
"Jiraiya? The hell're you doin' here?"
Jiraiya grinned as he sat down across from the woman, Tsunade, and the younger woman who was holding a small pig. Tsunade raised an eyebrow as two teens scooted into the booth next to her old teammate.
"Hey, Pervy Sage, I thought she was your teammate. How come she looks a lot younger than you?"
Tsunade's eyebrows twitched as the blonde teen between Jiraiya and the black haired teen pointed at her.
"Who the hell d' you think you are, brat? That's not a way you should start a conversation, y'know."
The blonde teen looked back at Tsunade and nodded.
"Oh, right. Sorry. I just thought the picture Pervy Sage showed us was from when you two were teammates."
Tsunade stared at the blonde teen before looking at Jiraiya. The white haired Sannin shrugged.
"I thought I'd show them what you look like in case we had to split up to search the town or something."
Tsunade nodded in suspicion.
"And why would you have t' go and do that?"
Jiraiya put his elbows on the table as he leaned over slightly.
"We'll get to that. I wanna know why Orochimaru came to visit you. I mean, the three of us aren't exactly the types to have a reunion with each other."
Tsunade looked back down at her saucer full of sake before shrugging.
"Doesn't matter. It was stupid anyways."
Jiraiya narrowed his eyes as he leaned forward a bit more.
"I think it matters, Tsunade. I doubt you haven't heard of what he did to the village yet."
Tsunade downed her sake and wiped her mouth with the sleeve of her haori.
"Yeah, I heard about the invasion. I also heard from him that he was pretty upset over some kind of 'Smoke Brat'?"
Jiraiya and the blonde teen glanced over at the teen at the end of the table, who was staring down as he listened. Tsunade looked over at the teen as well.
"What, were you the one who took his arm off, kid?"
Adrik looked up at Tsunade and nodded with a hint of anger in his eyes.
"It should've been a lot worse than that, but yeah."
Tsunade nodded, impressed by the teen.
"Well, you sure put the hurt on him. He told me he can't regrow him arm no matter what technique he uses. Says it still burns, too. What's your name?"
The teen crossed his arms as he leaned back.
"Adrik."
Tsunade nodded and looked over at the blonde teen.
"And you?"
The teen let out a small grin.
"Naruto Uzumaki! The man who's gonna be the Hokage one day!"
Tsunade's eyes widened in slight surprise. She looked over to Jiraiya as the man spoke.
"So, Orochimaru wants you to heal him? Makes sense. You're the best medic in the Elemental Nations, after all."
Tsunade didn't bother nodding, instead pouring more sake into her saucer.
"... You heard him out, didn't you?"
Tsunade gulped down her sake, not bothering to answer her teammate once again. Jiraiya sighed.
"Well, let's just move on from that for now. We're kind of in a hurry as it is. Tsunade, we tracked you down because we need you to become the Fifth Hokage."
Tsunade narrowed her eyes dangerously at the other Sannin.
"The Hokage?"
Jiraiya nodded. Naruto smiled at her and put his hands on the table as he leaned forward.
"Yeah! Besides, you're a quarter Uzumaki, so that makes us related!"
Tsunade stared at Naruto for a few seconds before looking at Jiraiya.
"Is he...?"
Jiraiya simply nodded with a small smile. Tsunade looked back at Naruto with her eyebrows raised.
"Well, now I know why Jiraiya brought you along. What about you, uh... Adrik, was it? Why are you here?"
Adrik shrugged.
"Not my decision. I was just told to follow Jiraiya. But if you're a medic like he said, then we really do need your help. There's... someone back in the village. He's a hard worker who was always eager to prove himself. Recently, he got hospitalized and... and the doctors say he might never be able to work as a ninja ever again."
Tsunade nodded along. She looked back towards Jiraiya as she leaned back.
"I'm fine with healing someone from the Leaf, but I'm not gonna be the Hokage. I'll just go in, heal this kid's friend, and get out. You know how I feel about that place."
Jiraiya nodded. The two teens, however, glanced between the two Sannin in confusion. Jiraiya simply gave them a look that told them he would explain later.
"Well, that kinda sucks. You're the only candidate we trust to take the position."
Tsunade narrowed her eyes at the man.
"And you already heard my response. I'm not staying there for more than a few minutes."
Jiraiya narrowed his eyes as well, along with the two teens to his left.
"You heard what Orochimaru did. The village needs you now more than ever."
Tsunade leaned forward in her seat.
"You guys can figure something out without involving me. You did during the Uchiha Clan massacre, you did during the attack of the Nine-Tails."
Naruto's eyes narrowed further.
"Wait. How long were you out of the village for? Why didn't you go help with the recovery after the Fox attacked the village?"
Tsunade glanced at Naruto before shrugging.
"Kid, that village of yours has brought me nothing but pain. I'd be stupid to even think about staying there for more than an hour."
Naruto slammed his hands on the table.
"So you just stood by and watched when people needed your help?!"
Tsunade shrugged.
"They got through it, didn't they?"
Naruto grit his teeth as he stared at the woman. His eyes flashed red before he stood up.
"You left your own damn family behind?! For what?! To go out drinkin' and gamblin' for the rest of your life?!"
Tsunade crossed her arms below her chest.
"The only people I ever loved died because of that stupid village! As far as I'm aware, Orochimaru did us a favor!"
Naruto's eyes widened.
"The old man was a fool. He was long past his fighting days and still gave his own life for people that will probably forget him just like the rest of the ninjas who died for them."
Naruto glared at Tsunade furiously.
"You old bitch! The old man died so that we'd all live another day! He fought to protect us from that piece of shit and you think you can just insult him like that?!"
Tsunade glared right back at the blonde teen.
"Sit back down before I hit you through a building or two, brat."
Naruto bared his teeth as his eyes became red with slitted pupils. He stopped and turned when he felt an oppressive burning sensation coming from his left. His eyes reverted back to their regular blue color as he looked worriedly at Adrik.
Adrik stared with wide eyes full of anger towards Tsunade. Everyone flinched when they felt a burning pressure come from the teen.
"I watched the old man get impaled on Orochimaru's sword right before me. I couldn't do anything but watch as the light left his eyes. That piece of shit... He laughed at the old man. He laughed as he killed him. You're just as much of a waste of a human being as Orochimaru. If you think I'll just sit here and listen to you talk bad about the man who gave me a second chance, then maybe I should give you the same treatment I gave that son of a bitch."
By the time Adrik had finished talking, Naruto had started breathing heavy, as well as the woman with Tsunade. The burning pressure had spread to the point that the whole town could feel it. Tsunade watched in slight fear as an orange ring grew to circle Adrik's pupils.
"Adrik, that's enough!"
Adrik blinked before looking around. Everyone nearby breathed hard as they felt the burning pressure finally let up, many fleeing the area. He looked around the table before tilting his head down.
"I'll... I'll go find us a hotel room or something."
Adrik left, not waiting for any response from Jiraiya or Naruto. The four people still at the table watched him leave, two of them worried with the other two fearful.
"What the hell was that?"
Tsunade looked back to Jiraiya, no longer feeling the effects of the alcohol.
"Jiraiya, what the hell is that kid?"
Jiraiya looked down at the table. He shook his head slightly. Everyone looked to Naruto as he spoke.
"The old man was like a grandpa to him, like he was to me. He didn't say too much but he was pretty hurt when the village found him. The old man gave him a place to stay and made him a ninja. He's been like a brother to me ever since he started training with us and some other teams."
Naruto looked up at Tsunade.
"The village is the reason he is where he's at right now. If I don't fight for something like that, then why am I still here?"
Naruto stood up before walking away to hopefully go find his friend. Jiraiya watched his student leave with a solemn expression. Tsunade put a hand on the shoulder of the woman accompanying her.
"Shizune, leave us. Jiraiya and I need to talk."
The woman, Shizune, nodded before getting up to leave with the small pig in her arms letting out an oink.
X
Shizune walked around the forest aimlessly. The pig in her arms, Tonton, let out an oink before hopping out of Shizune's grasp.
"Hm? What's the matter, Tonton?"
The pig looked around for a moment before sniffing the ground. It started walking deeper into the forest as it picked up on a scent. Shizune followed the pig, not one to question its senses as they had never led her astray.
Shizune moved a branch out of the way and stepped around a bush. Her nose picked up on the rather pungent smell of smoke almost immediately. Her eyes widened as she reached a clearing that was very much not there the day before.
In the badly scorched clearing that was likely over twice as large as the town, there sat the two teens she had seen accompanying Jiraiya. The blonde teen, Naruto, sat next to the other teen, Adrik, with a comforting hand on his back.
Shizune and Tonton walked over to figure out what was going on.
X
Adrik suddenly stilled and wiped his eyes as he sensed another presence enter the clearing. Naruto looked up when he heard the sound of footsteps walking over the charred grass. He tilted his head slightly when he saw the woman that was sitting next to Tsunade was approaching them.
"Uh... Hi there, miss..."
The woman stopped and gave a small bow.
"Oh, my apologies, I didn't introduce myself earlier. My name is Shizune. I'm travelling alongside Lady Tsunade as her apprentice. And this here is Tonton."
Shizune pointed down at the small pig next to her with a smile. Naruto waved at the two with a grin of his own before looking back to Adrik with a frown.
"You see, Tonton has a good sense of smell, so that's what led me here."
Shizune glanced around at the destroyed forest.
"Did... Did one of you two do this?"
Naruto sighed. Adrik put up a hand, his blood having seeped through his wrappings. Shizune's eyes widened slightly before she ran up to Adrik, crouching next to him and grasping his outstretched hand.
"Are you alright? Hold on, let me take these off."
Adrik's eyes widened slightly when Shizune tried to unwrap his bandages. He yanked his hand out of the woman's grasp with a startled expression. Shizune reached to grab his hand once more but stopped when the teen held his bloody hands closer to himself.
"Please. I can help. I just need to see what I'm dealing with."
Adrik stared at Shizune for a few moments. He glanced back when Naruto put a hand on his shoulder. The blonde teen gave him a reassuring nod before they both turned back to face the woman. Adrik slowly extended both of his hands. Shizune carefully took them and slowly began removing the wrappings. Her eyes softened when she saw the lightning patterned scars across his arms. She decided now wasn't the time to ask, instead inspecting his bloodied knuckles and palms.
A few splinters of charred wood stuck out from his skin. His knuckles and palms were busted open from repeatedly striking something, along with having soot stains littering them.
Shizune immediately got to work on removing the splinters. She unsealed a cloth and some rubbing alcohol that she used to clean his hands up. After that, a faint green glow appeared over her hands. Adrik's hands immediately began to visibly repair themselves after a second. She brought a roll of medical gauze and rewrapped his arms just as they were before.
Throughout the entire process, Shizune had expected Adrik to at least flinch as a response to the pain. It was strange, though, as he hadn't even moved, only blinking as he watched her work. Shizune moved to sit down in front of the two teens.
"... So... May I ask what happened?"
Naruto glanced at Adrik whose gaze was fixated on the ground. He sighed as he would have to be the one to speak.
"That lady made him angry. He needed a place to vent, so here we are."
Shizune nodded with a frown.
"Right. I can understand that. But what kind of Fire jutsu would be able to do something like this?"
Shizune motioned to the destroyed forest around them. Naruto shook his head.
"He didn't use a jutsu."
Naruto looked at Adrik, giving him a small nudge on the shoulder. The teen sighed as he raised his left hand with his palm facing upwards. A second later, a small cloud of black, ember-filled ash appeared above his palm. It vanished as he closed his hand and set it back down.
"What is it? Is it a bloodline?"
Adrik shook his head.
"It's called an Element. I'm the only one with it. It isn't anything chakra related, either."
Shizune's eyes widened slightly.
"So you actually don't have any chakra?"
Adrik raised an eyebrow as he shook his head.
"No. How did you know?"
Shizune shrugged.
"At first I thought you were an Anbu from how well it seemed like you were hiding your chakra. Between you being so young and that masked clipped to your utility belt, though, I could tell that wasn't the case. I can't say I know what an Element is either."
Adrik nodded.
"So, why did you come here?"
Shizune looked down at the pig sitting next to her.
"At first, I was walking through the forest to clear my mind. Tonton picked up on a scent, probably thinking something dangerous was nearby. I followed her and ended up here. Why are you here, Naruto?"
Naruto blinked before shrugging.
"I couldn't find Adrik at the hotel. I figured he wouldn't be too far, so I looked in the forest."
Shizune nodded. She looked back over at Adrik, staring intently at his bandaged arms.
"If I may ask... What gave you those scars, Adrik?"
Adrik visibly flinched as he looked down at the ground.
"Don't worry about it."
Shizune's eyebrows furrowed.
"Well, of course I'm going to worry about it. I'm a medical ninja. Scars of that size could indicate some serious nerve damage, especially if they're from some sort of Lightning jutsu."
Adrik shook his head with his expression going blank.
"I can feel everything just fine, you can ask the doctors back at the village."
Shizune tilted her head slightly, her expression growing more worried.
"Are you sure?"
Adrik nodded once again, making the woman sigh.
"Very well. I should probably be heading back to the town now. We're leaving here by the end of the week, so if you need anything before then, just ask."
The two teens nodded as Shizune scooped Tonton into her arms and got up to leave.
"Oh, and... I know my word may not carry as much weight as I would prefer, but I would like to apologize for what Lady Tsunade said back there. She often lets emotion and instinct direct her speech. Please do not hold it against her. She has had a rather tough life. Sometimes she might burst out because of all of that pain."
Adrik stood up.
"No."
Shizune raised her eyebrows as she looked at the teen in surprise. Naruto stood up next to him with a determined frown.
"We're not acceptin' an apology from anyone but her. And you ain't got nothin' to apologize for. You didn't do anythin'."
Shizune stared at the two teens for a second before nodding.
"I see. Well, then, I'll keep that in mind. Be safe."
She waved to the two teens as she left the scorched clearing. The two teens waved back slightly before looking between each other.
X
Tsunade gulped down some more sake as she listened to Jiraiya.
"-And I'm pretty sure he would've beat me into the dirt if he could. That kid's got the combined will and determination of both of his parents and it's honestly kind of intimidating to be on the receiving end of it."
Tsunade laughed.
"Serves you right, you pervert! Maybe I should go back to the village just so I can see that happen again!"
Jiraiya sighed at his own expense.
"Tsunade..."
The woman set her saucer down as she saw Jiraiya's expression fall. He looked melancholic as he spoke in a tone she had rarely heard before.
"Are you really not coming back? Not even for Naruto?"
Tsunade sighed before shaking her head.
"You already heard my answer, Jiraiya. I'm not going back."
Jiraiya looked down at the table.
"Naruto's been on his own his whole life. I only know of a few people he would even dare consider precious. He's never had the love of a parent in his life. I know I'm a pretty cheap replacement for a father figure, but I've been trying my best to fill Minato's shoes. The kid deserves more than what I can offer him. I was hoping maybe you could help be there for him."
Tsunade looked down at the table as well.
"It was one of Kushina's wishes."
Tsunade looked back up in surprise.
"What?"
Jiraiya smiled softly.
"Minato wanted me to be Naruto's godfather. Kushina wanted you to be his godmother. But look at us now. Piss poor excuses for family that barely even know the kid. It took me almost a month to figure out he enjoys cooking."
Jiraiya looked up at Tsunade, the woman not even reaching for her sake saucer once.
"I know it's late, but I figured I should start trying at some point. Let me tell you, the past month and a half I've been a part of Naruto's life has been some of the best days of my life since I taught Minato."
Jiraiya frowned.
"But I get it. His looks, his attitude, his wishes... They're all too familiar to you. I won't blame you for not coming back."
Tsunade remained silent, staring into the empty saucer on the table, her eyes slightly watery.
"I'll let you go on your way. Just... Just don't help Orochimaru. I can promise you that whatever he offered to give you in exchange for healing him isn't worth it. And if you think it is, you're being lied to. We'll leave here at the end of the week. I still need to get Naruto up to speed on some fuinjutsu."
Jiraiya left the table, exiting the bar without another word. Tsunade went to pour some more sake into her saucer but stopped. She set the mostly full bottle back on the table and put a hand on her face. With the bar nearly empty, nobody was around to see a few tears leak from between her fingers and roll down her face.